Chinese Democracy vs. A Different Kind of Truth

[Iron MikeyJ]

Both albums have received a lot of attention from hard rock fans, but which album do you feel is better and why?

For me, I have to go with CD. I feel it has more quality songs than ADKOT does. Even though CD gets debated to death on this site, some hate others love, I am in the group that thinks it is a great album. While I do feel that it is inferior to Appetite and both Illusion albums, I do feel that it is better than lies and TSI. This is how I rate gnr's albums; appetite 10, Lies 8, Illusion1 8.8, Illusion2 8.5, TSI 7.5, CD 8.3. So even though CD is inferior IMO, it is in the ball park with the classic albums. Songs like TWAT, Catcher, Sorry, Better, and TIL (I love this song) are all classics right up there with anything the old band did. And it is the amount of quality songs that pushes CD as the superior album over ADKOT IMO.

This might cause some arguing, but this is how I view ADKOT. At times it sounds like classic Van Halen, which is something that CD does lack, but I don't get enough of that. She's the Woman and Blood and Fire are far and away my fav songs on the album, they are instant VH classics in my book, but that's where it ends for me. You and your blues and as is are decent songs, but they lack that classic magic IMO. Stay Frosty and Tattoo just are trying to hard IMO. They feel like ice cream man and jump part 2's, and neither are even close to as good as the originals. Eddie is on fire on the album, I have to give him props for that. It's the rest of the band that seems off. I doubt it's Alex, so I place the blame on Dave and Wolfgang. Wolfie does a good job, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Michael Anthony. And Dave just doesn't have that same charisma that he used to IMO. I know he's older now, but he just feels like a shell of himself, and I feel like the album suffers as a result. And my final point on this album is that (much like CD) it doesn't out due the older material. I love the classic Van Halen six pack, even Diver Down is superior to ADKOT IMO. But like CD, it is also in the ball park. Here's my rating; Van Halen 10, VH II 8.8, Women and Children 8.5, Fair Warning 8.3, Diver Down 8, 1984 9.5, ADKOT 7.8

CD 8.3>ADKOT 7.8

CD wins for me, but it is close.

Edited May 30, 2013 by Mike420

[Rovim]

Both are great imo, but I prefer Chinese.

Axl created something new here, while Eddie and the guys relied on old material, which was a smart move imo, but doesn't compare to what Guns accomplished with Chinese.

[mrandyk]

Eddie is on fire on the album

All I need. ADKOT>CD

[Powerage5]

I voted for ADKOT because it served as a better comeback album. VH had only put shit out for so long, so to have a great album again, let alone with Dave, was refreshing. In terms of the music, I like them about equally - they're 2 of the strongest albums of the last 5 years IMO.

[James Bond]

I voted for ADKOT because it served as a better comeback album. VH had only put shit out for so long, so to have a great album again, let alone with Dave, was refreshing. In terms of the music, I like them about equally - they're 2 of the strongest albums of the last 5 years IMO.

This for the same reasons.

[moreblack]

Despite the fact that Van Halen was scraping the barrel with old demo ideas, at least their album still sounded like Van Halen.

[Rovim]

Despite the fact that Van Halen was scraping the barrel with old demo ideas, at least their album still sounded like Van Halen.

Chinese was never going to sound as Guns as A Different Kind Of Truth sounded like Van Halen.

It only featured one original member compared to the 3 ADKOT had. Not a fair comparison imo.

Besides, it still sounded like Guns to me. (Street Of Dreams, There Was A Time and more)

[bran]

i really didnt like ADKOFT

[wasted]

I listen to CD more but they are like two approaches to reunion. One is to do a soild one but not quite hit the heights of former glory. The other is not do one but release an album that could be the next evolution with a different line up. its pretty hard to compare them.

[Bruno P.]

i really didnt like ADKOFT

Same here. Rehashed solos and riffs, basic and uninspired songs, etc. Average at best.

[dalsh327]

CD to me is better.

ADKOT was good but I heard most of the demos, I liked what they did with them. Tattoo prob. shouldn't have been the first song off of it. If they made the reunion album in '98,taking the best parts of DLR Band, III, and some of the old demos and throwing it all together, I think it would've been an amazing comeback album at the time.

[Turn_It_Up]

Longtime fan of both bands and found ADKOT to be the far more satisfying record that delivered what most of the fans wanted. Both bands had such long layoffs between last records there wasn't the risk of "the same old thing" from either, so no mark against VH. CD has its moments, but just way too many filler tracks such as Scraped, Riad, Shacklers. etc. whereas ADKOT had no filler or at least better filler if you want to include Bullethead.

But biggest thing was we hadn't heard from DLR or Axl in so long and one was full of his crazy fun and energy whereas the other was full of the bitterness and self pity you wouldn't tolerate from a friend, let alone want to hear from a 50 year old rock star. As for vocals, neither album will be considered among their high points, but overall DLR >Axl in this contest.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Turn_It_Up

[Towelie]

Unlike a lot of fans, I loved Tattoo but was disappointed with the rest of the album. It has a few good tracks (As Is and China Town being the pick of the bunch), but nothing to write home about.... especially compared to the early DLR albums. Tattoo was an awesome single though!!!

Chinese Democracy is miles better and I consider myself a pretty big VH fan.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Towelie

[bacardimayne]

I listened to A Different Kind of Truth and it was decent cockrock, but still cockrock. CD wins.

[Powerage5]

Unlike a lot of fans, I loved Tattoo but was disappointed with the rest of the album. It has a few good tracks (As Is and China Town being the pick of the bunch), but nothing to write home about.... especially compared to the early DLR albums. Tattoo was an awesome single though!!!

Chinese Democracy is miles better and I consider myself a pretty big VH fan.

[bran]

i really didnt like ADKOFT

Same here. Rehashed solos and riffs, basic and uninspired songs, etc. Average at best.

i really didnt like ADKOFT

Same here. Rehashed solos and riffs, basic and uninspired songs, etc. Average at best.

exactly how i felt about the album.

[Zeppelin]

I like both albums a lot, but I'd choose ADKOT for sure. It just seems like VH didn't even lose a step, which was really impressive. I mean, yeah, they had a few old ideas that they used, but you still have unfinished songs that needed to be finished with instrumental parts, lyrics, etc. So I don't really buy that criticism too much.

[batman007]

With Chinese it's either you love it or hate it. And I love it! I wasn't disappointed at all. I just wish it was released years before 2008. The impact probably would of been greater. I really see no fillers in CD.

Edited June 1, 2013 by batman007

[Towelie]

Unlike a lot of fans, I loved Tattoo but was disappointed with the rest of the album. It has a few good tracks (As Is and China Town being the pick of the bunch), but nothing to write home about.... especially compared to the early DLR albums. Tattoo was an awesome single though!!!

Chinese Democracy is miles better and I consider myself a pretty big VH fan.

I never understood the hate for Tattoo! It's by far the catchiest song on the album and a glaringly obvious choice for lead single.

My wife loved it the first time she heard it and she doesn't even like Jump, let alone the rest of the VH back catalogue.

[Rovim]

With Chinese it's either you love it or hate it. And I love it! I wasn't disappointed at all. I just wish it was released years before 2008. The impact probably would of been greater. I really see no fillers in CD.

You don't consider Scraped to be filler? Even songs that I really enjoy like Riad and If The World (though it's a pretty strong song for a filler imo) obviously belong under the category of 'filler'.

[wasted]

To me If The World was the single on CD that could have crossed over. One of the mistakes they made was thinking Better was a single, maybe for GNR fans it is but as a video or radio play only ITW could really work.

[Iron MikeyJ]

To me If The World was the single on CD that could have crossed over. One of the mistakes they made was thinking Better was a single, maybe for GNR fans it is but as a video or radio play only ITW could really work.

No the mistake was thinking cd was a single. I like the song, but is not one of the singles on that album. Better should have been first, followed by sorry, then twat. Those three songs are the most radio friendly imo.

On a side note, I don't know why people hate sorry. Its one of the most venemous songs on the album, and you can hum it. Yes that's right, sorry is the best sing along song on the album. Even my wife likes that one. Not being able to hum along to any of the songs is some peoples crticism of the album, well you can hum sorry. I do all the time. Sorry and twat have been constants on all playlists I've made since 2008.

[CheapJon]

CD, don't really care about anything Van Halen.